Lacing shoes can be difficult or impossible for some people, and several inventors have tried over the years to simplify the matter.
US patent application 2005/0198867 A1 (now abandoned) by the present inventor describes a self tying shoe where the lacing device is activated by the weight of the user. The weight is transmitted to a mechanism located within the sole, underneath the foot. The large number of moving parts makes the mechanism vulnerable to breakage. In addition, the underneath location of the mechanism causes some discomfort to the foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,115 relates to a ski boot with an operating assembly for closing and adjustment, and includes a power source supported by the ski boot which operates a driving gearwheel which is selectively engageable with driven gearwheels for winding the cables of closing and/or adjustment devices of the boot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,055 concerns a shoe member including a plurality of securement webs directed about a lacing gap within the shoe upper, wherein the webs are each mounted slidably within associated cavities, with tether lines mounted to the webs operative above a crank pulley. The crank pulley is in operative engagement with a slidable actuator rod to effect projection of the securement webs forcibly within each respective cavity, wherein a gas cylinder is operative to effect rotation of the crank pulley by the use of an associated slide rod within a guide cylinder to effect winding of each associated tether line relative to each associated securement web.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,401 describes a device for quickly tightening shoelaces on a shoe and for locking the tightened laces without the need for tying a bow or other knot. The device includes a body unit with a slotted opening formed with a chamfered edge along one side of the slot. A rotatable shaft which includes a set of chamfered ridges rolls laterally across the width of the slot. A shoelace introduced through the slot becomes pinched between the chamfered edge of the slotted opening and the chamfered ridges of the shaft. The shaft is spring biased to automatically lock the laces in place upon being tightened to the desired tension. A quick release lever retracts the shaft to unpinch the lace.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,325 shows a shoe having a central rotary closure arranged on the heel of the upper in the area above the location at which the heel bone is received and having at least one tightening element which has a tightening section running from the central rotary closure towards each side of the shoe. The tightening sections are coupled by a coupling element with at least one strap which runs from each tightening section or coupling element over the instep and/or by the arch to the other tightening section or coupling element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,874 shows a central closing device for shoes with a rotationally supported cord disc for at least one cord-type tensioning member for closing the shoe in such a way that the number of rotations of the cord disc is limited without any increase in the space required. Both the cord disc and a stationary member each have mutually-cooperating tooth profiles having the same tooth pitch but of different diameters. Located in the intermediate space created due to the different diameters of the tooth profiles is an idling pinion of the same pitch, which meshes with the two tooth profiles. At least one stop is provided to limit the travel of the idling pinion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,021 shows a device for tying a shoelace on a shoe. The device includes a base and a cover hingedly mounted on the base so as to be pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The base includes a top surface, a bottom surface and first and second holes which are sized and shaped so that the shoelace can be inserted therethrough. The cover includes a top surface, a bottom surface and first and second pins which are aligned so as to project into the first and second holes, respectively, when the cover is in the closed position. The cover also includes a locking tab which engages with a tip on the base to releasably lock the cover in the closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,210 shows a shoe incorporating adjustable straps that are positioned to tighten the shoe casing around a wearer's instep. A retractor mechanism incorporates elastic members. The elastic members are charged when the wearer loosens the shoe by pulling on the straps. The stored energy is released when a catch is disengaged and releases the elastic members to tighten and cinch the shoe on the wearer's foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,953 shows a footwear lacing system that includes a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The lace is threaded through a series of opposing guide members positioned along the top of the foot and ankle portions of the footwear. The lace and guide preferably have low friction surfaces to facilitate sliding of the lace through the guide members so that the lace evenly distributes tension across the footwear member. The tightening mechanism allows incremental adjustment of the tension of the lace. A release mechanism allows a user to quickly loosen the lace.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,194 shows an automated tightening shoe with crisscrossed laces and a tightening mechanism which operates in one direction to cause automatic tightening of the crisscrossed laces to tighten the shoe about a wearer's foot, and which can be released easily so that the shoe can be removed from the wearer's foot.
Some inventions involve a manual tightening mechanism which is integrated into the outsole area while others use retractable heels latched on the shoe. Still other systems use a central closing device that involves manual winding. All these inventions need to be operated by hand. Another system involves the use of pneumatic means.
Canadian patent CA2564152, by the present inventor, describes weight-activated tying footwear being worn on a foot of a user so as to allow the user to easily tighten the footwear around the foot. The footwear includes a body for receiving the foot. An activation device is connected to the sole of the body, and is activated by the foot of the user. The activation device operates between a raised or depressed configuration, depending on the position of the foot in the footwear. A tightening mechanism within a vertical wall of the body is responsive to the operation of the activation device. When the activation device is in the raised configuration, the tightening mechanism is loose around the foot of the user. When the user depresses the activation device in the depressed configuration, the tightening mechanism becomes tight around the user's foot. However, the mechanism, in certain scenarios, can be subject to breakage due to fatigue stresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,048 describes a shoelace lock including top and bottom plates that cross and grip the laces as the top plate is rotated 180 degrees to the bottom plate and snap locked thereto. This design is somewhat bulky and requires a snap lock mechanism.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for a closure system which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the aforementioned prior art problems.
There is also a need for a lace tension distributor that can facilitate use of a closure system.
There is also a need for an improved lace locking system which, by virtue of its design and components, can constitute an improvement over prior art systems.